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Federal Loan Limits

The federal government restricts the amount a student may borrow in federal loans, both on an annual basis and in the aggregate. Please review the following for guidelines related to loan limits:

Undergraduate Students: Direct Loan Maximums*

Grade Level

Dependent Undergraduate Student

Independent Undergraduate Student

Year 1* (0-44 credits)

$5,500—Only $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

$9,500—Only $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

Year 2* (45-89 credits)

$6,500—Only $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

$10,500—Only $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

Years 3–4* (90 + credits)

$7,500—Only $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

$12,500—Only $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

Lifetime Maximum Total Debt from Stafford and Direct Loans (in each status)

$31,000—Only $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

$57,500—Only $23,000 of this amount may be subsidized loans.

*Dependent undergraduate students whose parents have been denied a Federal Parent Loan are eligible to borrow at the independent undergraduate level. Students in undergraduate certificate programs or who are in the last two terms of their academic program may be eligible for reduced amounts due to required pro-rating.

$138,500—Only $65,500 of this amount may be subsidized loans. Note: The graduate debt limit includes Stafford Loans and Direct Loans received for undergraduate study.

Students Enrolled in Preparatory Courses for the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Dependent Students

$7,500—Only $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Note: Students are eligible for this loan for one consecutive 12-month period.

$31,000—Only $23,000 of this amount may be subsidized loans.

Independent Students

$12,500—Only $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Note: Students are eligible for this loan for one consecutive 12-month period.

$57,500—Only $23,000 of this amount may be subsidized loans.

Annual Loan Limits

The federal government limits the annual amount of Federal Direct Loans that you can borrow. Walden University defines its annual award year as three quarters or three semesters. Students cannot exceed the annual Direct Loan maximums in the award year. Loans borrowed at a prior institution can impact your eligibility at Walden. Our office may ask you to provide additional information about prior loans in order to process new loans at Walden.

Federal Direct Subsidized Loans

Undergraduate annual borrowing ranges from $3,500–$5,500, depending on year in school.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans

Undergraduate annual borrowing ranges from $5,500–$12,500 (less Direct Subsidized Loan eligibility), depending on year in school and dependency status.

Graduate student annual borrowing maximum is $20,500.

Graduate PLUS Loans and Parent PLUS Loans are also processed based on three quarters or three semesters per award year. They are limited annually by the cost of attendance minus any financial aid received.

Teacher Preparation Students or Endorsement Students who do not choose the MS degree option have a borrowing maximum of $12,500.

Lifetime Aggregate Loan Limits

The federal government limits the aggregate amount of Federal Direct Loans that you can borrow in your lifetime. The lifetime aggregate limits for federal student loans (FFELP and Direct) are as follows:

Graduate students: $138,500 combined (only $65,500 may be subsidized; includes amounts borrowed as an undergraduate student).

Parent PLUS Loans and Graduate PLUS Loans do not have a lifetime maximum.

As a student loan borrower, you are responsible for knowing the total amount of federal loans you have borrowed. A summary of your federal loan debt is available via the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) at www.nslds.ed.gov.

Exceeding Annual or Aggregate Loan Limits

Your Student Aid Report (SAR) may indicate that you have inadvertently borrowed in excess of the Federal Direct Loan limits. For example, it is possible that a student was inadvertently allowed to borrow federal undergraduate loans in excess of undergraduate limits at a prior institution while not exceeding the graduate loan limits. Before Walden can award graduate-level Federal Direct Loans to the student, the student must reaffirm the debt by either consolidating the prior loans that exceed the limits or by obtaining a reaffirmation letter from the holder of the loans. Another example would be if a student was inadvertently allowed to exceed graduate loan limits at a prior institution. Before Walden can award Federal Graduate PLUS Loans, the student must reaffirm the debt by either consolidating the prior loans that exceed the limits or by obtaining a reaffirmation letter from the holder of the loans.

Do you have questions about financial aid? If you haven’t yet applied to Walden, please contact an enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336 in the United States. If you are a current student, please contact a financial aid advisor at finaid@waldenu.edu or call 1-800-WALDENU (1-800-925-3368).